Reference tabs for file indexing and the like



A ril 21, 1970 H. JOCHHEIM 7,

REFERENCE was FOR FILE mmune AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. I 15, 1968 Inventor:

HANS JOCHHEIM I ATTORNEYS United States Patent Int. Cl. 069s 3/16 U.S. Cl. 4023 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A reference tab suitable for use with filing cards, file covers and the like comprises a foot portion having two resilient clamping limbs which embrace a U-shaped metallic spring. The tab is made of plastics material which is injection moulded around the metallic spring.

This invention relates to reference tabs for file indexing or the like and especially to tabs having a foot formed from two resilient clamping limbs.

If a good clamping action is required, known tabs of the above kind are made from spring-steel sheet. Their construction is particularly complicated and costly if the top of the tab is provided with a pocket and a viewing orifice, since their manufacture calls for additional stamping and/or assembly operations. When use is made of tabs with simple tops which merely form projections whereby they can be viewed, a nuisance frequently encountered is that the thinner top of the tab forms a shoulder with the thicker foot, on which shoulder dust and dirt can easily settle. Furthermore, there exists the danger of rusting particularly when the tabs are frequently handled.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned defects and to provide a tab which combines the good clamping action of tabs made from spring-steel sheet and the favourable utilitarian properties of tabs made from non-metallic material and which, moreover, can be manufactured particularly simply and cheaply.

The invention consists in a reference tab for file indexing, the tab comprising a foot portion which includes two resilient clamping limbs, the limbs embracing a metallic clamping spring for receiving the edge of a filing card, file cover or other sheet, the foot portion and the remainder of the tab being made of plastics material injection moulded around the clamping spring.

The tab may be manufactured in large numbers by placing the clamping springs in the tools of the injectionmoulding machine and injecting the plastics. material around them in that position.

Apart from the fact that it is simple to manufacture, the tab offers the advantage that it possesses the favourable uilitarian properties of the plastics material, and tabs of different colour can be produced, without additional operations such as lacquering or the like, by employing differently coloured batches of plastics material.

In order to achieve a particularly firm connection between the clamping spring and the injection-moulded element of plastics material, it is of advantage to anchor the clamping spring firmly to the injection-moulded element of plastics material preferably by means of projections in the form of pips.

If it is desired to achieve a particularly strong clamping action, a tab that is found to be advantageous is one wherein the clamping spring has two limbs which are disposed relatively to each other in the form of a U and which are bent over inwards at their free ends. In a construction of this kind, the free ends of the foot of the tab penetrate more or less deeply into the material of the filing card and constitute a safe attachment Without the material of the card suffering any damage.

A particularly advantageous tab of the kind in question is one the front and rear sides of which are parallel with each other and are smooth, and the top of which, made of transparent plastics material, is provided with a pocket in known manner.

A tab of this kind can also be produced by injection moulding.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tab fitted on a filing card;

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line IIII of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the spring used in the manufacture of the tab shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the spring shown in FIGURE 3.

As shown in the drawing, a reference tab 11 comprises a top portion 12 and a foot portion formed by two limbs 13 and 14. The tab is held on a filing card 15 by means of the foot portion.

The interior sides of the limbs 13 and 14 are formed by the side parts 16 and 17 of a spring 18 bent to roughly a U-shape, the remaining part of the tab, consisting of transparent plastics material, being injection moulded around this spring.

To ensure an intimate connection between the spring 18 and the element of plastics material, the side portions 16 and 17 of the spring 18 are provided with protuberances or other projections 19, providing a good anchor.

To increase the clamping action, the lower free ends of the springs are slightly bent over inwards at 20. A pocket 21 serves to accommodate marker strips.

Advantageously, the tab is made of transparent plastics material.

I claim:

1. A reference tab for file indexing comprising an integral one-piece top and foot portion of transparent plastic material, said top portion being provided with a vertically disposed elongated pocket for the insertion of marker strips, said foot portion including spaced clamping limbs, a vertically disposed generally U-shaped metallic clamping spring arranged between and embraced by said limbs, said limbs and spring being open at their lower ends for receiving the edge of a filing card, and the lower ends of said limbs being inturned to clampingly engage said card.

2. A reference tab as claimed in claim 1 wherein projections are provided in at least one side of said clamping spring, said projections being embedded in said plastic limbs whereby said spring is anchored therein.

3. A reference tab as claimed in claim 2 wherein the side walls of said tab are smooth, fiat, planar and parallel to each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,689,070 10/1928 Elliot 24262 X 1,826,614 10/1931 Graff et al. 40-16 2,248,355 7/1941 Jones 40l6 X EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner W. I. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner 

